University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science

Removing
soil from outdoor pots and cleaning them, raking up leaves from
under rose
bushes, and wrapping newly planted trees are some of the gardening
activities
for this month.

Empty
the soil from any clay or ceramic pots that you keep outside or in a
cold
location during the winter. If not, the soil will freeze and expand
and, most
likely, crack the pot. Keep the soil to use to fill the bottoms of
large
planters next year. That way you won't need as much fresh soil.

Rose
foliage can harbor insects and diseases, both on the shrub and on
the ground.
Pull off any rose leaves that are still hanging on, and rake up
fallen leaves
and bury them all away from the garden or dispose of them in the
trash.

Once
the ground begins to freeze, it's time to protect hybrid roses from
winter's
wind and cold. The simplest method is to mound bark mulch around the
base of
the rose, covering the graft union (the swollen part of the stem
near the
ground). The mound should be about one foot tall. Wait until spring
to cut back
the canes above the mound. Avoid plastic rose cones without
ventilation holes
at the top because they can heat up and damage plants in winter.

To
prevent sun scald and frost cracking on young, thin-barked trees
such as
maples, wrap the trunks with tree wrap or paint the south-facing
sides of the
trunk with white, outdoor latex paint.
This will reflect the warming rays of the sun so the tree bark
doesn't heat up
on winter days, only to be suddenly cooled when the sun sets and the
temperature plummets.

Woody
perennials, such as butterfly bush, lavender, thyme, and heather,
can be
damaged
or killed if you prune in fall. Leave the stems as is,
protect them with bark mulch piled over the crowns in late fall, and
prune in
spring.

Sow
seeds of perennials that need cold treatment to germinate and grow,
such as
alliums, monkshood, primulas, and alpine plants. Sow in seed flats
and, once
growing, move them outside to a shady location for winter, or sow
directly in an empty bed outside. Cover with straw or pine boughs to
help trap
snow and provide some winter protection.

Make sure evergreens have a good deep watering
before the ground freezes because they continue to transpire during
the winter.
Protect young evergreens from wind damage during winter by wrapping
them in
burlap or using wooden protectors. Water these plants whenever the
temperatures
warm up in winter and early spring if there's no snow cover to
provide
moisture.

If
you are planning to buy a live Christmas tree that you'll plant
after the
holidays into your yard, dig and prepare the planting hole now
before the soil
freezes. Fill the hole with straw or hay topped with a board to
prevent
accidents. Place the soil from the hole in a nonfreezing garage or
basement.
When you're ready to plant, water the tree well before placing it in
the hole,
cover the root ball with soil up to where the roots flare out at the
base of
the trunk, and water again.

Other gardening tips for this month
include leaving asparagus stalks to trap snow, cutting back
unsightly
perennials (leave ones with seeds for the birds), getting spring
bulbs planted
if you haven’t already (look for clearance deals now on bulbs at
garden stores),
cleaning and storing garden tools, stocking up on bird seed, putting
a heated
bird bath out for winter, mulching tender roses and perennials, and
storing
pesticides where they wont freeze.